Kim Đồng Publishing House
Product brand
UnclaimedVietnamese publishing house
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Kim Dong Publishing House, formally Nhà xuất bản Kim Đồng, is a Vietnamese publishing company whose principal audience is children, teenagers, and young adults. Its catalogue spans domestic literature, poetry, educational materials, science, history, art, comics, magazines, pop-up books, board books, and other illustrated or activity-oriented formats. The company is widely associated with the development of children's publishing in Vietnam and is described as one of the country's largest publishers of manga and other comics. The publishing house was established on 17 June 1957 in Hanoi, following a period in which children's books had been issued through cultural and publishing organisations connected with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Its institutional predecessor included the Kim Đồng Bookshelf, which had operated in the Việt Bắc resistance zone and later continued within the Youth Publishing House. Preparations for a dedicated children's publisher followed the Second Letters and Arts Congress in February 1957. A meeting held on 16 March 1957 at the headquarters of the Vietnam Letters and Arts Association brought together 12 participants involved in establishing the new organisation. Writer Tô Hoài proposed the name Kim Đồng, recalling the teenage Viet Minh fighter Kim Đồng, who died in 1943. Writer and dramatist Nguyễn Huy Tưởng became the first general director. Kim Dong's publishing programme combines Vietnamese authors and artists with licensed and translated works from abroad. Reference material describes cooperation with more than 70 foreign publishers, including Dorling Kindersley, HarperCollins UK, Simon & Schuster UK, Dami International, Shogakukan, and Seoul Publishing House. This international network has supported the introduction of foreign children's fiction, educational titles, comics, and visual formats to Vietnamese readers, while the company has continued to publish recognised Vietnamese works such as Tô Hoài's The Adventures of a Cricket, Nguyễn Huy Tưởng's The Flag Embroidered with Six Golden Words, Trần Đăng Khoa's poetry collection The Yard Corner and the Sky Interval, Nguyễn Nhật Ánh's The Kaleidoscope, and Đất rừng phương Nam. The company also publishes translated and licensed entertainment properties. Its catalogue has included Japanese manga and other comics, the German youth series TKKG under the Vietnamese title Tứ quái TKKG during 1994–1996, and Little House on the Prairie in 2019. In addition to conventional books, Kim Dong has produced or circulated collections involving songs, poems, creative activities, and children's educational content. Its public role extends beyond commercial publishing. The company has participated in social initiatives including the Doraemon Scholarship Fund, support for Vietnamese heroic mothers, donations of book collections to disadvantaged communities, and school-building or educational support in mountainous areas. The reference material describes an organisation with roughly 100 staff and an output of more than 1,000 titles annually, although the dates and methodology for those operational figures are not specified. The publisher's Hanoi headquarters remains at 55 Quang Trung Street, with branches listed in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. A reference profile identifies Pham Quang Vinh as general director, but does not provide a dated appointment record.
History
Kim Dong Publishing House was created within the post-1945 effort to develop Vietnamese children's literature and educational publishing. Before the company existed, children's books were issued in Hanoi during 1945–1946 by organisations including the National Salvation Culture Association and the National Salvation Publishing House. During the First Indochina War, publishing activity moved into the Việt Bắc resistance zone. There, the Kim Đồng Bookshelf operated in association with the Hoa Kháng Chiến publisher. After the war ended in 1954, the bookshelf continued as part of the Youth Publishing House. The idea of a separate institution devoted to children and junior citizens gained formal momentum at the Second Letters and Arts Congress in February 1957. The congress treated children's books as an important instrument of education and cultural development. On 16 March 1957, a meeting concerning the proposed publisher was held at the headquarters of the Vietnam Letters and Arts Association. Twelve participants took part in the establishment process. The organisation was formally founded in Hanoi on 17 June 1957 as Nhà xuất bản Kim Đồng. Writer Tô Hoài proposed the name, which refers to Kim Đồng, a teenage Viet Minh fighter who died in 1943. The new institution was regarded as the successor to the earlier Kim Đồng Bookshelf. Its establishment was announced in the press the following day, and writer and dramatist Nguyễn Huy Tưởng became its first general director. The first office was located at 55 Quang Trung Street in Hanoi, the address later identified as the publisher's head office. Over time, Kim Dong developed a broad children's and young-adult programme rather than limiting itself to fiction. Its catalogue came to include Vietnamese literature, poetry, science, history, art, educational titles, magazines, comics, pop-up books, board books, and other formats intended for different age groups. A major part of the publisher's later development was cooperation with international rights holders and publishers. Reference material states that Kim Dong worked with more than 70 foreign publishing organisations, naming Dorling Kindersley, HarperCollins UK, Simon & Schuster UK, Dami International, Shogakukan, and Seoul Publishing House among its partners. These relationships expanded access to translated children's books, visual learning materials, manga, and other international properties. Kim Dong became particularly prominent in Vietnam's manga market while continuing to publish domestic authors. Notable Vietnamese works associated with its catalogue include Tô Hoài's The Adventures of a Cricket, Nguyễn Huy Tưởng's The Flag Embroidered with Six Golden Words, Trần Đăng Khoa's The Yard Corner and the Sky Interval, Nguyễn Nhật Ánh's The Kaleidoscope, and Đất rừng phương Nam. The publisher has also undertaken cultural and social activities. It has been associated with movements involving books, comics, songs, poetry, and children's creativity, and has participated in programmes such as the Doraemon Scholarship Fund. Other reported activities include support for Vietnamese heroic mothers, book donations to poor communes, and assistance with building schools or educational resources in mountainous areas. A reference profile describes the modern organisation as publishing more than 1,000 titles per year, with about 100 employees and an output stated as approximately 12 million copies per month. Because the source does not date or explain these figures, they should be treated as historical profile information rather than current verified operating data. The same profile lists branches at 169 Trần Phú Street in Da Nang and 268 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street in Ho Chi Minh City, alongside the Hanoi head office. It also identifies Pham Quang Vinh as general director. No independently dated information in the supplied material establishes the current ownership structure, legal status, or leadership tenure.
- 2019
Little House on the Prairie published in Vietnam
[1]The publisher's catalogue included a Vietnamese publication of Little House on the Prairie.
- 1994
Vietnamese edition of TKKG begins
[1]Kim Dong published the youth series TKKG in Vietnamese as Tứ quái TKKG during the 1994–1996 period.
- 1957
Dedicated children's publisher established
[1]Kim Đồng Publishing House was formally founded in Hanoi on 17 June 1957 after preparations at the Second Letters and Arts Congress and a March founding meeting.
- 1954
Kim Đồng Bookshelf continues within the Youth Publishing House
[1]After the war, the earlier children's publishing programme continued as part of Nhà xuất bản Thanh niên, or the Youth Publishing House.
- 1948
Kim Đồng Bookshelf operates in the Việt Bắc war zone
[1]During the First Indochina War, the Kim Đồng Bookshelf published in partnership with the Hoa Kháng Chiến publisher.
- 1945
Early children's publishing in Hanoi
[1]Children's books were issued by cultural and publishing organisations including the National Salvation Culture Association and the National Salvation Publishing House.
Products and positioning
A national Vietnamese children's publishing institution combining locally authored literature and educational content with translated and licensed international books, comics, and illustrated formats.
Children's fiction
Vietnamese children's literature
Kim Dong publishes Vietnamese fiction and poetry for children and young readers, including established literary works as well as books by contemporary local authors. The catalogue connects children's reading with Vietnamese history, society, imagination, and school-age literary culture. Examples associated with the publisher include The Adventures of a Cricket, Đất rừng phương Nam, The Flag Embroidered with Six Golden Words, The Yard Corner and the Sky Interval, and The Kaleidoscope.
Comics
Manga and translated comics
The company is one of Vietnam's prominent manga publishers and has built an important part of its catalogue around comics and other illustrated serial or book formats. Its international publishing relationships have enabled translated and licensed content alongside locally produced material. The supplied reference does not identify a complete list of comic franchises or individual launch dates.
Educational publishing
Educational and reference books
Kim Dong publishes educational, science, history, and art titles designed for children and adolescents. These books broaden the company beyond narrative fiction and comics, offering age-specific information and learning content. Its international collaborations, including work with illustrated educational publishers, have supported the acquisition and adaptation of additional book types and subjects.
Illustrated and activity books
Pop-up, board, and activity books
The publisher's stated range includes pop-up books, board books, and publications related to children's creative activities. These formats are intended to serve different developmental stages, including younger children who may engage with books through images, physical interaction, and guided activities rather than extended reading alone.
Translated youth fiction · 1994
Tứ quái TKKG
Tứ quái TKKG was Kim Dong's Vietnamese edition of the TKKG youth adventure series. The title appeared in the publisher's catalogue during 1994–1996 and reflects its role in bringing translated international youth fiction to Vietnamese readers.
Translated children's literature · 2019
Little House on the Prairie
Kim Dong published Little House on the Prairie in 2019 as part of its translated children's literature programme. The supplied reference identifies the publication year but does not provide details about edition size, translation credits, or subsequent availability.
Marketing campaigns
- Doraemon Scholarship Fund
Vietnam
Kim Dong has participated in the Doraemon Scholarship Fund, a social initiative connected with educational support for Vietnamese children.
Outcome. The supplied material does not provide a quantified outcome or a complete account of the programme's duration.
- Book donations and educational support for disadvantaged communities
Vietnam
The publisher has supported poor Vietnamese communes by developing or donating book collections and has participated in efforts to build schools or educational facilities in mountainous regions.
Outcome. Specific locations, dates, funding, and measured results are not stated in the supplied reference.
- Support for Vietnamese heroic mothers
Vietnam
Kim Dong has taken part in social activities supporting people honoured in Vietnam as Vietnamese heroic mothers.
Outcome. The supplied material does not specify the programme's dates, scale, or individual beneficiaries.
Brand decisions
1957
Create a dedicated publisher for childrenStrategyBackground
Vietnamese cultural leaders identified children's books as an important part of education and the formation of a new generation.
Action taken
A dedicated publishing house for children and junior citizens was established on 17 June 1957, succeeding the earlier Kim Đồng Bookshelf.
Aftermath
Kim Dong became a long-running national institution focused on children's and young-adult publishing.
- Expand international publishing cooperationStrategy
Background
The publisher sought additional subjects, formats, and rights for Vietnamese children beyond its domestic author and artist base.
Action taken
Kim Dong developed cooperation with more than 70 foreign publishers, including organisations in the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea.
Aftermath
The catalogue expanded to include translated educational books, comics, youth fiction, and illustrated formats.
Sources2 sources
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